Draymond Green says teammates have to help DeMarcus Cousins “survive” in the NBA Finals “hood”

DeMarcus Cousins (Vicky Graff Photo)

By LARRY VAUGHT

I have never interviewed Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green but I certainly think I would enjoy getting that opportunity.

He’s obviously an emotional player who doesn’t try to hide or control his passion on or off the court unlike some professional athletes. He’s never afraid to say exactly what he thinks.

Green was asked what kind of adversity teammate DeMarcus Cousins faced playing in Game One of the Finals after being out six weeks with a leg injury. Cousins played just eight minutes but could play more tonight against Toronto.

Green’s answer to the challenge Cousins faced was pure gold. Here is exactly what he said:

“When you talk about DeMarcus, he’s someone who’s been great in this league for years now. He’s probably not played basketball what, 16 out of the last 19 months, so that right there alone is a challenge in itself. Then you start to talk playoff experience, where you and I both know the intensity level is completely different than a regular-season game, and he doesn’t have much playoff experience. And then you get dropped in the NBA Finals,” Green said.

“It’s kind of like some kid who grew up in the suburbs going to private school and then one day you just got dropped in the hood and was told to survive. You got to figure that out. It’s very similar to that.

“Now in saying that, if you’re that kid that’s dropped in the hood, like what do you revert to? You just revert to what you know. You do whatever it is that you know. You just try to do that to survive. Well, one thing we do know is DeMarcus is a great basketball player. So at that point then you just go out there and you do what you’re great at. And everything else will fall in line.

“But I think it’s also on us. You know that kid has a much better chance of surviving if he gets with the right group of friends in that neighborhood. It’s on us as his teammates to help pull him through, to get whatever we can out of him to help make us a better team and do whatever we can to put him in the best position to be successful.”